NHL BOMBSHELL: Cale Makar’s Future Suddenly Becomes the Biggest Avalanche Story of the Summer

DENVER — The headline sounds terrifying for Colorado Avalanche fans: Cale Makar is entering the final season of his contract, and suddenly his future has become one of the biggest storylines in the NHL.

For a fan base that has watched Colorado aggressively reshape its roster this summer, the timing is enough to make people nervous.

But there is an important twist.

This isn’t really a story about the Avalanche wanting to trade Makar.

It is about something potentially much bigger: whether Colorado can get its superstar defenseman locked down before the situation becomes an offseason nightmare.

And with training camp approaching, the pressure is building.

Cale Makar Is Entering a Contract Year — And Avalanche Fans Are Watching Closely

Makar isn’t simply another defenseman.

He is a two-time Norris Trophy winner, a Stanley Cup champion and arguably the most important player on Colorado’s blue line.

In 2025-26, Makar recorded 79 points in 75 games, including 20 goals and 59 assists, while finishing the season with a plus-32 rating. (FLM)

Now comes the uncomfortable part.

His current six-year, $54 million contract runs through the 2026-27 season, meaning he can potentially become an unrestricted free agent afterward. (FLM)

For most players, that would automatically trigger trade speculation.

For Makar, it creates something far more serious.

A countdown.

Every month that passes without an extension gives the hockey world another opportunity to ask the same question:

What happens if Colorado can’t get a deal done?

And that is where the drama begins.

Joe Sakic Has Already Sent a Massive Message

If Avalanche fans are worried, there is at least one reason to breathe.

Joe Sakic has been remarkably direct about the organization’s intentions.

In June, the Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager said:

“Cale’s going to finish his career here.”

Sakic also confirmed that discussions with Makar’s agent had already begun and said the organization expected to get an extension completed. (NHL)

That isn’t the language of a front office preparing to trade its superstar.

Quite the opposite.

It is a declaration of intent.

But intent and execution are two different things.

And that’s precisely why this story deserves attention.

The Avalanche Just Proved Nobody Is Untouchable

Colorado’s summer has been anything but quiet.

The Avalanche made a series of significant moves designed to reshape the roster and create financial flexibility.

Ross Colton was sent to Nashville.

Jack Drury was also traded to the Predators.

Then came the move that stunned many fans: Valeri Nichushkin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three draft picks. (NHL)

The Avalanche received a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for Nichushkin. (NHL)

Suddenly, the message was clear.

Colorado was willing to make difficult decisions.

The organization wasn’t sentimental about every piece of its roster.

That doesn’t mean Makar is available.

But it does explain why fans are watching every contract conversation so closely.

The Makar Situation Is Different

Here’s the key distinction.

Colorado’s offseason trades were largely about improving roster flexibility, balancing the salary cap and reshaping the supporting cast.

Makar is different because he represents the foundation.

The Avalanche themselves have emphasized that their summer savings helped them maintain the core of their defense, including contracts for Brett Kulak and Brent Burns. (NHL)

And that tells you everything about how Colorado views its blue line.

If the Avalanche are willing to move major forwards to create flexibility, the logical question becomes:

Who are they creating that flexibility for?

Makar would be the obvious answer.

So Could Cale Makar Actually Be Traded?

Technically?

Anything can happen in professional sports.

Realistically?

The evidence currently points strongly in the opposite direction.

Sakic has publicly stated that Makar will finish his career in Colorado. (NHL)

The Avalanche have already made several difficult roster moves while protecting the structure of their defense.

And Makar remains one of the most irreplaceable players in hockey.

Trading him would create a hole that cannot simply be filled with another free agent.

You don’t replace a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman by making a clever waiver-wire move.

You don’t replace him with a second-round pick.

You certainly don’t replace the chemistry he has developed with Colorado’s core.

If Makar leaves, Colorado doesn’t merely lose a defenseman.

It changes the identity of the team.

But Here’s Where the Drama Could Explode

Imagine the worst-case scenario for Avalanche fans.

Training camp begins.

The season starts.

Makar continues producing at an elite level.

December arrives.

January arrives.

The trade deadline approaches.

And there is still no extension.

Suddenly, every Makar press conference becomes a headline.

Every off day becomes an opportunity for speculation.

Every anonymous NHL insider becomes relevant.

And eventually, opposing teams would have to ask the question:

Would Colorado really risk losing him for nothing?

That is the nightmare scenario the Avalanche absolutely want to avoid.

It is also why getting an extension done sooner rather than later could be one of the most important pieces of business in the franchise’s immediate future.

Colorado’s New Supporting Cast Makes This Even More Interesting

While Makar’s future dominates the headlines, Colorado has quietly built a fascinating new supporting cast.

The Avalanche acquired Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux from Nashville in exchange for Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round pick. (NHL)

Svechkov enters the season after setting career highs with 70 games, 13 assists and 17 points in 2025-26.

L’Heureux brings something different: physicality, energy and an edge that Colorado clearly believes could become valuable.

The Avalanche also added veteran forward Jaden Schwartz on a three-year contract and defenseman Noah Juulsen on a two-year deal. (NHL)

In other words, Colorado isn’t rebuilding.

It is reloading.

And that makes keeping Makar even more important.

The Bottom Line: This Isn’t a Trade Story — Yet

For now, calling Cale Makar a likely trade candidate would be misleading.

There is no credible indication that Colorado wants to move him.

In fact, the strongest public evidence says exactly the opposite.

Joe Sakic has already made the organization’s position clear: Makar is supposed to be an Avalanche for life. (NHL)

But until the contract is signed, the story isn’t finished.

That’s what makes the coming season so fascinating.

Colorado has already shown it is willing to make ruthless decisions to build a championship roster.

Now the franchise faces perhaps its most important decision of all:

How much will it take to make sure Cale Makar never wears another jersey?

For Avalanche fans, the answer is simple.

Whatever it takes.

Because Nathan MacKinnon may be the heartbeat of Colorado’s championship ambitions.

But Cale Makar is the engine running underneath it all.

And if Colorado can secure both stars for the long haul, this summer’s chaos could ultimately be remembered not as the beginning of an Avalanche breakup—but as the moment the franchise built its next championship window.